Hydraulic variable transmission



May 4, 1954 B. cALvER-r 2,577,287

HYDRAULIC VARIABLE TRANSMISSION Filed April 21, 195o s Sheets-Sheet 1 SWU A May 4, 1954 B CALvER-r 2,677,287

HYDRAULIC VARIABLE TRANSMISSION Filed April 2l, 1950 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

W. 6 Inky/Lw@ A m o arme/6V May 4, 1954 B. cALvERT 2,677,287

' HYDRAULIC VARIABLE TRANSMISSION Filed April 2l, 1950 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 l/l/ 45 40 l/ 4A 2 o f/ 5 gp QQ /7 40 3*.

l a. l2.

:z: 45 ZL INVENTOR.

BY M

Patented May 4, 1954 iTED STATE TENT OFFICE Claims.

This invention relates to a variable ratio transmission apparatus, and one of the objects of the invention is to provide a transmission mechanism whichr will operate when the drive starts, to impart the driving torque to the driven part or driven-shaft at a speed reduced in relation to the driving part or driving shaft, and as the drive continues, the transmission mechanism, ait-er effecting some acceleration of the drivenshaft, will operate to vary the driving ratio by increasing the same toward` a one-to-one drive ratio. This is accomplished through the mediurn of impellers operating upon a liquid mediurn- While this transmisison may be employed in any situation where a driven load is to be driven and accelerated through reduction apparatus between a driving shaft and a driven shaft, it is particularly useful when employed as a transmission apparatus in vehicles such as automobiles and trucks, or the like.

In its preferred formthe apparatus includes a planetary mechanism which operates when the drive commences, to transmit torque from the driving shaft to the driven shaft at reduced speed. One of the objects of the invention is to include with this planetary mechanism, impeller elements operating on the liquid medium in such a way as to gradually increase the driving ratio and advance the same from a reduction drive up to a one-to-one drive ratio, which the apparatus will automatically establish.

Another object in the invention is to combine with this apparatus means for holding one of the elements of the planetary mechanism, so that it will operate as the reactor, or Xed member in the planetary drive, while the driving is being effected at a reduced ratio, but which will operate in such a way that as the drive speeds up, to gradually increase the drive ratio and iinally effect a drive at a one-to-one ratio. The planetary mechanism referred to includes a sungear about which planetary gears rotate when the drive through the mechanism is initiated.

When this drive is initiated, the sun-gear is stationary, as a result of which,` drive is effected through the carrier or spider that carries the planetary gears, to drive the same at reduced speed, that is to say, at a less number of revolutions per minute than is impartedV to the mechaf The invention consists in the novel elements and combination ofl elements to be described hereinafter, all of which contribute to produce an eilicient hydraulic variable transmission.

A preferred embodiment of the invention is described in the following specification, while the broad scope of the invention is pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawing:v

Figure 1 is a longitudinal section through my transmission apparatus and along its'axis, the endof the driven-shaft being broken away; and at the other end of the apparatus, the driving shaft and its coupling to the apparatus is ind-icated in broken lines. This Vsection isV taken on the line'I-l of Fig. 3, looking towards the left, passing through the axis of the drivenshaft.

Figure 2r is vertical section taken about on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1 and particularly illustrating the planetary'driving mechanism.

Figure 3` is av vertical'cross section taken about on the line 3-43 of Fig. 1, and passing in a plane that isbetween the primary impeller and the secondary impeller that is accelerated through the agency of the liquid medium in which the impellers rotate. This View particularly illus'- tra'tes the preferred features of construction 'of the primary impeller. Y

Figure Liwis a side elevation of the secondary impeller. This view represents'this impeller as it wouldV bev seen if the impeller assembly were removed from the housing that encases it, but this view, for the sake'of clearness, does not show thev primary impellenwhich would be located black of the secondary impeller. However,V this view showsr the hub of the secondary impeller, and the bushing'that separates the same from the driven-shaft, and also shows the driven-shaft in cross section.

Figure 5 is a vertical cross section taken on the lin'e'l of Fig. 1f and particularly illustrating the third, or`tertiary` impeller.V In this view the housing, creasing', of the apparatus is shown in section to indicateA theA relation of the diameter of the'se'condar'y and third impeller to the inside diameterof the' housing 'or casing that confines the'liquid in which the impellers operate.

Figure 6 is a 4fragmentary view, and is a cross section taken about on the line S-S of Figc. 1v, and particularly illustrating further details of the automatic brake device that operates to-hold the reactor gear of the planetary mechanism.

"igure '7 is a verticaly 'section taken on the line l-'l of Fig?. 1 and'iilustrating the means employed for supporting the rear end of the drivenshaft and providing a bearing for same.

eferring morey particularly to the parts, the transmise@ mechanism is Pleeiebly Gerried irl e @haar heutige Oferta I @includes a part Ia in which the iinpellers are housed, and a part Ib in which the planetary mechanism is housed. In other words, in the present illustration these two parts, Ia and Ib, are attached together by bolts 2 passing through their flanges 3 between which the disc or transverse head 4 of the primary impeller 5 is secured.

It should be understood that in the present embodiment of this invention, the entire housing I is rotated through the agency of a driving part such as the drive shaft 6, shown in broken lines at the left of Fig. l, which drives the stub shaft 'I of the section or part Ia of the housing through a ange coupling il that'is rigid with or keyed to the stub shaft l. This coupling 8, of course, coy operates with a similar hanged coupling 9 that is rigid with or keyed to the driving shaft 6. The stub shaft I may be formed as a separate piece from section Ia but in the present instance, for

the sake of simplicity, it is illustrated as being in- 'f tegral with the adjacent head ID of this part.

The secondary impeller I I is formed at the end of a long sleeve I2, the inner end of which is formed into a sun-gear I3, and the bore of this long sleeve or hub for the secondary impeller carries a bushing I 2a that fits to the inner shaft I5, which shaft is the driven-shaft and includes a forward section |511. and a rear section I5b. At the junction point of these two sections, Ia and I5b, a shoulder I G is formed against which a flanged end of the sleeve I2a abuts, as indicated in the drawing.

As indicated in Fig. 2, the sun-gear I3 meshes with three planetary gears I4, the diameter of which will depend upon the desired initial drive ratio of reduction of drive through the planetary to the driven-shaft I5. Furthermore, there may be more or less than three of the planetary gears. However, I prefer to employ three, spaced 120 degrees apart, and all of these planetary gears are mounted for free rotation on a carrier or spider I'I. For this purpose bushed studs I8 may be employed, the inner ends of which have `reduced threaded tips mounted in threaded sockets in the spider, and set screws, such as the L.;

set screw I9, may be employed for insuring that these studs I8 or stub shafts will not work lose. However, as the direction of rotation of these planetary gears on their studs or shafts I8 is always in one direction, i. e. the forward direction,

lit is possible to have the reduced threaded ends of the studs of a character such that any friction on the studs exerted by the planetary gears or their bushings will be in a direction to tighten the studs instead of to loosen them.

At their outer edges the planetary gears I4 mesh with the teeth of an internal gear 23, which is the reactor member of the planetary mechanism, and this gear is in the form of a long ring, the rear edge of which is counter-sunk into an annular socket 2| formed in the face of a large brake-disc 22, and to which it is attached by suitable fasteners, such as machine screws 23. And this disc 22 has a hub 24, which is freely rotatable at a traveler bearing 25, and with a suitable bushing 26.

This reactor gear is normally held in a fixed position through the agency of a disc 2l', the adjacent face of which is normally held in contact with a brake lining 28 that is secured on the adjacent face of the brake disc 22 by any suitable means, such as small counter-sunk machine screws 29.

Through the agency of a thread connection, the brake disc 21 is automatically controlled so that if the driven-shaft I5 rotates in reverse direction with respect to the driving shaft, then the traveller 21 will back off from the brake lining 28. In order to accomplish this, I provide an externally threaded ring 30. The ring 30 is also provided with a threaded bore which is received on screw threads 3| on a fixed long tubular sleeve 32 (see Fig. '7), which illustrates how this sleeve is provided with two keys 33 that hold it against rotation in a split clamp 34, the two sections of which are hanged and secured together by bolts 35 passing through their flanges. The inner end of the ring 35 has a counter-bore as shown at its inner end to form a recess to receive a hub 24 of the brake disc 22 and the bottom of this counter-bore may seat against the end of the hub 24 as illustrated.

The traveller 2 has a hub 36, which has an internal thread to receive the external thread 3'I on the ring 30. This is high-pitched thread and is preferably a stout double or quadruple thread. The reason why this thread should be highpitched will be explained hereinafter. To the outer end of the ring 30 a spring seat 38 is secured by small machine screws as shown, and .this spring seat is in the form of a disc against `which the end of a coil spring 39 seats. The other end of this spring presses against the outer face of the traveller disc 21, so as to bias it toward the brake lining 28.

The character of the thread connection at the thread 31 is such that the thrust of the planetary gears I4 on the ring 20 will urge the ring 20 to rotate in the direction that will cause the friction of the brake lining 23 on the traveller 2l to move the traveller toward the lining 28 and press the traveller disc 2 firmly against the lining. In other words, if the thrust of the planetary gears Id on the ring 20 urges the ring to rotate in anticlockwise direction, as viewed in Fig. 2, then the thread 37 should be a right hand thread so that the friction contact between the brake lming 28 and the face of the disc 2 would turn the traveller 21 in an anti-clockwise direction, which would move the traveller toward the brake disc 22. This movement is assisted by the spring 39. If, however, the thrust of the planetary gears were in the opposite direction, then the friction of the lining 28 against the disc 21 would rotate the hub 3S in a direction to move the traveller away from the brake lining 28, this would permit the brake disc and the ring 25 to rotate freely. In other words, it would inhibit the holding action that the brake disc 22 would normally have while for- .1 ward drive through the transmission was taking place. In other words, if the driving shaft I5 were rotated in a reverse direction from that which it has when a forward drive is taking place, then the brake disc 22 would automatically release itself. The advantages derived from this mode of operation will be explained more in detail at another point in this specification.

I shall now proceed to describe the impellers, their co-action with each other, and how they function to build up the drive from a reduction drive to a one to one ratio as the speed ratio of the driving shaft 6 increases.

Referring now to Figs. 1 and 3, the primary impeller comprises a plurality of substantially radial vanes 4D of plate form, the outer ends of which are secured to the inner face of the drumform casing section I-zz, preferably by welds. rTheir rear edges 4I rest against the adjacent face of partition head or wall 4. These venes should be St enough to insure that they will not become By reason of the fact that the thread 31 is high-pitch thread, the pressure of the spring 39 against the back of the traveller disc 21 biases the traveller normally at all times into engagement with the brake lining 28. If this thread were not of sufciently high-pitch, the spring could not return the traveller disc against the lining 28 after it had been moved away from it by the brake disc when the drive would pass from a reduced drive ratio to a one-to-one drive ratio.

What I claim is:

1. In a hydraulic variable-ratio transmission, the combination of a power-driven drivingshaft, a rotary cylindrical drum mounted for rotation on its axis and connected to the driving shaft for rotation thereby, said drum having a chamber for carrying a mass of liquid therein extending out to the peripheral wall of said drum and substantially nlled with a mass of operating liquid, impeller vanes carried by said rotary drum projecting into the said chamber for rotating the fluid therein in the driving direction, a secondary impeller mounted for rotation Within the drum alongside the path of movement of said impellervanes and having its own impeller vanes extending in a, general radial direction for receiving liquid projected upon them by the rst named vanes, a tubular shaft for said secondary impeller, a sun-gear driven thereby, a runner rotatably mounted Within the drum and alongside the secondary impeller, on the axis of said drum, having vanes extending in a general radial direction thereon, rotated by the liquid projected upon its vanes by the secondary impeller, a driven shaft mounted within said tubular shaft and connected to said runner, a planetary-gear carrier mounted on said driven shaft and rotating therewith, a plurality of planetary gears carried on the said gear carrier meshing with the said sun-gear, a reactor gear having gear teeth meshing with said planetary gears, means for normally holding said reactor gear fixed against rotation, and automatic means for releasing said reactor gear to permit its free rotation when the planetary gear carrier and the sun-gear'are rotating at substantially the same speed, thereby establishing a substantially one-to-one drive ratio from the driving shaft to the driven shaft.

2. A hydraulic variable-ratio transmission according to claim 1, wherein the means for normally holding said reactor against rotation comprises a brake-disk attached to the side of the reactor gear, a traveler disk having a face lying against the face of the brake-disk and functioning initially in the transmission operation to hold the brake-disk and reactor gear against rotation, said traveler disk having a co-axial hub with a high-pitch thread thereon, a coil spring normally pressing the traveler disk against the brakedisk, a supporting member for the said hub having a high-pitch thread meshing with the rst named thread; said disks and said spring cooperating when the speed of rotation of the sungear and gear-carrier become equalized, to enable the thrust of the planetary gears to rotate the brake-disk and traveler disk on its thread connection in a direction to withdraw the traveler disk from the brake-disk.

3. A hydraulic variable-ratio transmission according to claim 1 in which the said drum includes a transverse head on which its vanes are carried and extend in a general radial direction, and in which the said vanes of the drum head carry an annular baifle at the edges of the same that lie adjacent to the secondary impeller, the

Si outer edge of said baffle being spaced from the peripheral wall of said casing so as to permit and promote forming a transverse swirl of the liquid medium against the secondary impeller adjacent to its periphery, and circulating around the adjacent portion of the baffle.

4. A hydraulic variable-ratio transmission according to claim 1 in which the secondary irnpeller includes an annuler bafe carried by it on its side adjacent to the third impeller or runner, the outer edge of said last named baille being spaced from the peripheral Wall of the drum.

5. In a hydraulic variable-ratio transmission, the combination of a substantially cylindrical closed casing for carrying a driving liquid, and having a forward transverse head, a bearing for the casing adjacent said forward head, said casing having a rear transverse head, and a partiton wall constituting a transverse head separating the casing into an impeller chamber and a gear chamber, a driven shaft co-axial with said casing having its forward end located adjacent to said forward head, a bearing for the rear transverse head co-axial with said driven shaft, a

. spider secured on the driven shaft within the gear chamber, planetary gears carried thereby, a sun-gear rotatably mounted on the driven shaft, meshing with said planetary gears and having a sleeve extending along said driven sha-ft towards said rst named transverse head, a primary impeller with impeller blades rigid with the casing extending in a general radial direction and toward the rst named transverse head, means for rotating the said casing, a secondary impeller having blades extending in a general radial direction, and mounted for rotation about the axis of the driven shaft, and driven by the operating liquid impelled into the same by the primary impeller; said secondary impeller being connected with said sleeve for impelling the sun-gear; a runner between the secondary impeller and the forward transverse head with means connecting the same to the driven shaft for impelling it, and actuated by the operating liquid driven into the runner by the secondary impeller; a reactor internal gear meshing with the planetary gears,

means for supporting the internal gear for coaxial rotation about the driven shaft; said interna-l gear having a brake-element attached for rotation therewith, a movable brake-element cooperating with the first named brake-element to hold the internal gear substantially stationary when the forward drive starts, to drive the driven shaft at a reduced ratio while the torque exerted by the planetary gears against the internal gear is reversed in direction with respect to the forward driving direction; and means activated by the arrival of the drive at a substantially one-toone ratio, for moving said movable brake-element to release said internal gear and permit its free rotation with the spider and driven shaft at substantially a one-to-one ratio,

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,000,959 Jimmerson May 14, 1935 2,152,113 Van Lammeren Mar. 28, 1939 2,260,015 Fichtner Oct. 21, 1941 2,284,123 Breer May 26, 1942 2,316,390 Biermann Apr. 13, 1943 2,350,810 Pentz June 6, 1944 2,388,062 Keller Oct. 30, 1945 2,548,272 Seybold Apr. 10, 1951 

